Timothy J. Mason Boeken

In the 1980s, sonochemistry emerged as a niche area of chemistry focused on how ultrasound enhances synthetic procedures, particularly in heterogeneous systems and organometallic reactions. Over time, the field expanded into food technology, environmental protection, and natural material extraction, spurring scientific interest and leading to the establishment of the European Society of Sonochemistry in 1990 and the journal Ultrasonics Sonochemistry in 1994. Today, sonochemistry is a dynamic, interdisciplinary science involving chemists, physicists, engineers, and biologists, fostering a cross-pollination of ideas that enriches research and broadens understanding across various scientific domains. The evolution of sonochemistry and its applications is chronicled by two pioneers in the field, offering a unique perspective through their research experiences. This work is structured into two volumes: the first covers the historical development of sonochemistry, while the second delves into its diverse applications, including chemical synthesis, food technology, materials processing, and therapeutic ultrasound. Each chapter is crafted to be accessible to readers from different backgrounds, highlighting the unifying theme of acoustic cavitation's effects across various procedures and illustrating the field's expansive nature.

In the 1980’s sonochemistry was considered to be a rather restricted branch of chemistry mainly involving the ways in which ultrasound could improve synthetic procedures, predominantly in heterogeneous systems and particularly for organometallic reactions. This volume traces the evolution of sonochemistry from a century ago when the effects of acoustic cavitation were first reported almost as a scientific curiosity, through the 1980’s to the present. It describes the ways in which scientific interest grew rapidly during the 1990’s with the formation of the European Society of Sonochemistry in 1990 and the launch of a new journal Ultrasonics Sonochemistry in 1994. It also includes two chapters relating to the evolution of the subject as seen through the particular experiences of the authors Tim Mason and Mircea Vinatoru, both pioneers of sonochemistry. One chapter is devoted to the ultrasonically assisted extraction (UAE) of chemicals from plant material. This also illustrates the different ways in which sonochemical technologies can be applied in both batch and flow systems leading to the development of large-scale processing. The other chapter relating to environmental protection shows the wide range of applications of sonochemistry in this important field for both biological and chemical decontamination.